Hayle sat back, putting several feet of distance between us. “So, you are official?”
I rubbed my hands against my jeans. “I guess you could say that. We’re taking things slow.”
He laughed under his breath. “Leo doesn’t do slow. In fact, he doesn’t do much beyond hooking up.”
“He says he wants to do things differently with me.” I knew how naïve that sounded, but the thing was, I believed him.
“I want to be able to say I’m happy for the two of you, but I don’t know if I can.”
My chest tightened painfully. I hated this feeling of disappointing someone I cared about. “Hayle—”
He shook his head. “You don’t have to say anything. I just wanted a chance to kiss you once before I knew, for sure, you were off-limits.”
I didn’t respond, because I didn’t know what else to say. This sucked. For years, I’d had no interest in being emotionally tied to any guy. And, now, my emotions were all twisted up in three.
Part of me wondered if I should stay away from all of them. If it wouldn’t be better for everyone that way.
But I wasn’t that selfless. For as long as I was in Moss Harbor, I was going to let myself feel. Especially since my days were numbered.
Hayle stood and took a few steps before stopping again. “Will you tell me one thing, though?”
“Of course.”
“If I’d stepped up and thrown my hat in the ring before my brothers got around to it, would I have stood a chance with you?”
With the taste of him still on my lips, I didn’t hesitate. Hell, I didn’t even have to think about it. “Yes.”
His answering smile was small but warm. “Guess I’ll hold out hope that my big brother screws up, then. He’s been known to do that.”
I watched him walk away, thinking that, once again, pieces of my heart were strewn across the ground.
Chapter Thirteen
Thea
“Hey, you.”
Halfway out of the bathroom an hour later, I slammed into the doorjamb. “Holy shit, Leo. You scared me.”
He’d been leaning against the wall across from me but pulled me into a hug as soon as he saw my reaction. “Damn, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to do that.” He kissed my arm, where I’d hit it against the wood trim. “All better?”
I pursed my lips. “I don’t know. Maybe try again?”
He chuckled but eagerly complied, trailing a line of kisses up and down my arm this time. I inhaled his freshly showered scent and admired the way his fitted T-shirt molded to his broad shoulders. Leo was the epitome of a finely-honed athlete. He put a lot of effort into staying fit, and his body was a walking advertisement of that effort.
Returning his attention to my face, he said, “I feel like it’s been a week since I saw you instead of only two days.”
“I know. That’s my fault. I’m sorry about yesterday.”
He rested his forehead against mine. “It’s okay, but are you going to tell me what’s going on with you?”
“Who says anything is going on?”
Leo chuckled under his breath. “I might not be the most observant guy in the world, but even I know there’s something.”
I clutched his T-shirt and sighed. “You’re right. I just don’t know how to explain it all.”
Taking my hand in his, he led me past my bedroom and toward the stairs. “Where are we—”
“I think it’s time you got a tour of my bedroom.”
“I’ve seen it before,” I argued, though I was happily following him to the third floor.
“Yeah, when you were ten. We’re not counting that.”
“Does this mean you don’t have Seahawks sheets anymore?” If I remembered correctly, his entire room had been decorated in paraphernalia celebrating the Seattle football team. I shouldn’t have been so surprised to find out he’d taken his love of the game to the field.
He grinned down at me. “If I did, would you refuse to sleep with me?”
I lifted my eyes to the ceiling, as though to ponder the question. “Maybe. I don’t love the idea of one of those birds biting me in the ass while I’m sleeping.”
He laughed. “Good thing I got rid of those sheets years ago, then.”
“Good thing.”
I followed him into his bedroom and looked around, taking everything in. The walls were gray, except the one behind the bed, which was painted a deep navy. The wooden furniture were all coordinating, minimalistic pieces, and the bedding was gray with navy trim. Although the general design wasn’t all that different